Air India flight makes priority landing in Bhopal after mid-air snag, 175 safe

An Air India flight from Mumbai to Bhopal triggered a mid-air alert on Sunday after a suspected technical snag, forcing the crew to carry out a priority landing at the Raja Bhoj Airport, officials said on Monday.

The aircraft, carrying 175 passengers and crew members, landed safely at around 3:20 pm. No injuries were reported.

Airport officials confirmed that the pilot opted for the landing after detecting a possible technical issue during the flight. The move was in line with standard safety protocols to avoid any escalation.

In a statement, Air India said the crew operating flight AI633 took a call to land in Bhopal as a preventive measure. The aircraft was immediately grounded for detailed technical checks, and passengers were safely disembarked.

The airline added that arrangements were made to help passengers reach their destination, even as ground staff extended assistance at the airport. Passengers were also offered full refunds if they chose not to continue their journey.

Air India expressed regret over the disruption, but maintained that passenger safety remains its top priority. The airline said that such precautionary landings are part of established aviation safety procedures when any technical irregularity is suspected mid-flight.

The incident comes hours after a Swiss International Airlines flight to Zurich was forced to abort take-off at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the early hours of Sunday after an engine failure that led to a fire, prompting a full emergency and evacuation. Four passengers sustained injuries.

Flight LX147, operated by an Airbus A330-300, was on its take-off roll on Runway 28 at around 1.08 am when engine number one malfunctioned and caught fire. Sources said the aircraft had accelerated to about 104 knots when the crew detected the fault and immediately rejected take-off in line with safety protocols.